ABSTRACT
With regard to complicated grief, a struggle with meaninglessness is a critical marker of debilitating grief reactions such as prolonged grief disorder. In the case of losses that are objectively more traumatic, trying to make sense of the loss is more common. It’s this need to make sense of the loss which accounts for almost all the difference between the complicated grief of those suffering a traumatic bereavement and the uncomplicated grief of those bereaved by natural causes. An outcome such as an increased desire to help others is an example of post-traumatic growth (PTG). Various philosophies, literatures, and religions throughout history have claimed that personal gain can be found in suffering. The concept of PTG denotes how trauma can serve as a catalyst for positive changes. It’s been found that 30–90 per cent of people who experience some form of traumatic event report at least some positive changes following the trauma.
